The Long Night
by MeganR
Summary: Peter wakes up in the middle of the night to find Sophie working on a student evaluation, spurring them to discuss & resolve some things while reaffirming their own personal relationship. For Peter and Sophie fans. For mature readers only!


The Long Night

  


Higher Ground/Romance 

Rating: R 

Short Synopsis: Peter wakes up in the middle of the night to find Sophie working on a student evaluation, spurring them to discuss & resolve some things while reaffirming their own personal relationship. For Peter and Sophie fans. For mature readers only! 

Disclaimers: Usual stuff. I don't own any of the characters. They are all owned by Fox Family Channel, Paramount International, Lions Gate TV. This is for personal use only, and please don't distribute without my permission. 

Warning: There is some strong sexual content, and is thus intended for the mature reader only. It's certainly not intended to offend anyone--please don't say that I didn't warn you! 

Setup: The story takes place a few days after the morp. Peter and Sophie have just gotten engaged to be married while continuing to run and work for Mt. Horizon as director and counselor, respectively. It's the middle of a late Tuesday night. And summer break starts this Friday, when most of the students will be headed home for a short visit. 

**The Long Night **

Peter was sleeping rather soundly and feeling rather content when all of a sudden something jarred him awake. He rolled over reaching for Sophie, only to realize she wasn't there. He was momentarily startled and worried because in the past she'd always have a tendency to leave when the two of them got "too close". But with a slight sigh of relief he saw the light gleaming from the adjoining living room. He groggily glanced at the clock, reached for his robe, opened the French doors, and saw Sophie sprawled out on the floor with her legs crossed, surrounded by a lot of papers and by what looked like a couple of large textbooks. Her eyes were fixated on what looked suspiciously like a Horizon student file. He couldn't help but pause and notice how beautiful she looked at this hour in the dim lighting with her hair slightly tussled and wearing only his favorite light blue shirt. A few moments had passed as he continued to absorb her beauty and feeling rather lucky that she finally had agreed to marry him, when he suddenly realized that she hadn't even noticed that he had entered the room. He wondered what was so important that she was poured so intently over a student's file in the middle of the night? Could she be worried about something? She hadn't mentioned anything to him. In fact the last several days since the morp, he thought they'd been closer than they'd ever been. He had hoped that they were past all the secrets, he thought to himself. 

"Hey", Peter said quietly as he broke the late night silence. 

Startled, Sophie looked up to see Peter standing in the doorway. "Hey", she said weakly. As a smile crept on her face, noticing that his hair was sticking up in the back, she continued, "Did I wake you? I'm sorry." 

"No", he answered back as he shook his head. "I just woke up and realized you weren't there. With a slight grin, he continued, "I think I've gotten quite used to having you so close again that I can't sleep without you", he said genuinely. 

As Sophie soaked in those words, she began to feel a little guilty about working. Peter made the few quiet strides toward her to see that it was Juliette's file that she'd been looking at. He kind of scrunched up his brow and squinted back at her, after quickly panning at all of the paperwork and continued to give her a rather quizzical look. "So, what happened to our deal that we'd try to keep Horizon stuff AT Horizon and when we were home, we'd keep that time just for us?" 

Peter shuffled some of the papers away and sat down on the floor beside her. 

Sophie looked up at him with a rather sheepish look and sighed, "I guess it's easier said than done, huh?" Trying to change the subject slightly, she continued, "But you know as well as I do, Peter, that you could easily get a phone call in the middle of the night and have to run back to school or even the hospital-you never know what's going to happen." 

"But that stuff's not happening tonight", he said matter of factly. 

"I don't know Peter, the kids are about to leave for summer break, and I guess I just really want to get these student evaluations done before Friday when most everyone goes home", she replied. 

"And the reason you're doing this at 3:30 in the morning is…….?" Peter asked with a raised eyebrow. 

Busted, she partially concedes, "I couldn't sleep. I'm done with everyone's evaluation except for Juliette's. I've just been thinking a lot about her lately ever since her mother visited a couple weeks ago and I'm really worried about her going home. You should have seen "Mommy Dearest"--so demanding. She hadn't seen Juliette for months and the first thing she did was harp on her about her weight. It took every ounce of self-control I could muster not to wring her neck….". Sophie was getting a little too angry and animated at this point. 

She continued, "You never know after listening to Juliette talk about her mother in group all these months, how much was reality and how much was just in her head, but this women is a TRUE piece of work. And you could tell that she was none too pleased about her friendship with Auggie. When Juliette gets home, Sophie sighed, "I can't imagine all the things her mother is going to tell Juliette, and I just don't want it to undo all the progress she's made the last few months." 

Peter just quietly listens, still sensing that there is something else going on with Sophie. 

"I just don't understand some mothers, Peter. Don't they realize how lucky they are?" 

Peter notices the pained expression on Sophie's face but decides not to push. Slowly he adds in a rather clinical sounding tone, "Juliette's mother simply did the best she could at the time. She does love her, Soph. I've heard the concern in her voice whenever I talk to her on the phone. It's just that she wasn't able to give, what Juliette really needed. But Juliette's gained A LOT of self-confidence lately and I think she's going to be okay when she goes home this time. It's only for a short time, and for the first time in a long time, I think she likes who she is, and she owes a lot of that to you, Soph." Peter takes Sophie's hand and looks over all the research she has in front of her, and says, "You know, Soph, you don't always have to be perfect either. You don't always have to say just the "perfect" thing to Juliette. Let her know you care, listen to her, and make her realize that she has a lot of tools now that she can use when things get tough at home." 

Sophie tries to absorb Peter's comments. 

After a beat, Peter adds, "Hmmm, you really do have a soft spot for Juliette, don't you?" Peter asks with a smile. 

Sophie flings back, "Like you don't have your favorites!" 

"No, I don't", he says rather indignantly. "THAT would be unprofessional." 

"Peter, don't EVEN go there!" Sophie shoots back. "You should have seen your face when you saw that Scott-your pride and joy-had come back!" I don't know if you were happier about that or that I asked you to marry me! 

"Hey, now that's not fair and SO untrue! I was just happy because I didn't think Scott was ready to go home yet. That's all!" Peter retorted back. 

Sophie continues to look at him rather skeptically. 

Knowing what he said wasn't the complete truth, Peter comes clean and after a beat admits, "OK, maybe I do have a SMALL soft spot for Scott….Is it that noticeable? I mean can everyone tell?" 

Happy that she got Peter to admit the truth, she says, "No. It's just that I know you, and I think you see a little of yourself in Scott, don't you?" 

"Maybe", responds Peter reluctantly. "I just want him to be able to deal with all of the stuff that's happened to him now--while he's young--and hopefully he can avoid the same pain and the downfall that I had to go through much later in life. I was lucky to make it--but you know that better than anyone. I was lucky that you and Frank cared so much about me." 

"Yeah, well, Scott's lucky that someone like you cares so much about him…You do get that adorable little light in your eye whenever you're dealing with him." Sophie continues, "But you're great with all the kids, Peter. That's part of the reason I love you so much." 

Sophie leans over and kisses him softly. 

As Peter pulls back from the kiss, he replies, "Well you know, you're not so bad yourself---I mean with the kids. They're all lucky to have you…(pause) And I'm awfully lucky to have you too. I love you, Soph…Very much". He leans over and kisses her just as softly back. He pulls back only enough so that his forehead rests on hers. 

Feeling ever so close to her right now, Peter asks, "So Soph, does it feel like we're actually getting married?" 

"I don't know, how's it supposed to feel? *I'VE* never been married before", Sophie asks with a smirky grin. 

"Was that a dig?" Peter tries to feign anger but the smile on his face was a dead giveaway that he took the jab in stride. As he pulls back to look at her in the eye, and then rather earnestly tries to explain, "Please tell me you're not gonna bring up Chloe tonight. 'Cos I know I've already screwed up one marriage and I don't intend to do that again, if that's what you're worried about." 

"I'm not", she said assuredly. "Honest." 

"Good". Peter's gaze intensifies and he asks in a more serious tone, "So, have you told anyone yet?", trying to turn the conversation back to what he thinks is really bothering Sophie. 

Sophie: "Well I think the entire school knows by now, don't you think? We weren't exactly discreet about it at the morp. Yesterday Juliette even asked me if the rumor was true--if we were really engaged. I tried to explain that it was a rather personal question, but she told me that the truth was written all over my face so I don't figure it's a secret anymore." 

Peter: "No, I think you're probably right about that. But I meant, ….did you call your family or anyone?" 

Sophie: "No, not yet," Sophie was becoming uncomfortable with the turn in the conversation. Sophie just lets the words hang in the air without trying to elaborate further or looking him in the eye. After what seemed like forever, she finally feels the weight of Peter's gaze and blurts out, "What?" 

Peter: "I'm just wondering why you haven't told your family? I finally reached Frank and he was very happy for us. I forgot to mention he sent along his congratulations, but he's convinced you don't know what you're really getting in someone like me," he said with a smile. 

Sophie: "Oh, I know what I'm getting…! 

Peter quietly laughs to himself, and continues, "And I even called Marc yesterday with the good news, and we're hardly what you call close." 

Sophie: "You did? Uhmmm, well, I was just waiting until we had something more official before calling home. That's all. It's not like we've even talked about a date or anything. Besides, I don't even know if they'd want to come. I mean you don't have much family either, and I just kinda figured we'd do something small and private-maybe even elope?" 

Peter: "So you're not hoping for a big formal wedding with bridesmaids and flowers, and… 

Sophie: "No," as she interrupts Peter. Surprised though, she asked, "Is that what you want?" 

Peter: "Not really-especially since that was what I had before-Chloe and her mother went all out for her fairy tale wedding,….but she just didn't get her fairy tale ending." The never-ending look of guilt creeps back on his face, but as he tries to turn the conversation back to that at hand, Peter continued, "I just thought all women dreamed of that big formal affair with all the bells and whistles." 

Sophie: "Well, how many times have you told me I'm like no other woman you've ever met before?" 

Realizing that's the truth, he chuckled, "Too many times to count." But as they both continued to laugh about the details of their prospective wedding, Peter realized that Sophie had once again changed the topic. In an effort to finally know what was really bothering her, he decides to take a more direct approach. 

Peter swallows and just says it. "You know Soph, I think I know the real reason you're out here tonight." 

Sophie: "You do, huh?…Well here we go..." And quickly becoming rather defensive she asks, "Is this how our life together is going to be, Peter? You always trying to analyze everything I say and do? Maybe I'm just very concerned about one of my students? Why can't it be that simple?" 

Peter: "I don't know. Maybe it is that simple or maybe it's because of something else." 

Sophie: "Peter, I don't want to argue with you now. It's late. Let's just go back to bed." Sophie begins to get up off the floor and head toward the bedroom. 

But Peter grabs onto her arm preventing her from leaving. He guides her back to the floor, and says, "No, just hear me out, OK?" 

Resigned that's she's not going to avoid this, she nods, and becomes interested in what Peter THINKS he's figured out. 

Peter: I think the reason you're so worried about Juliette and her mother right now is because it's your way of avoiding the problems you have with your own mother. You'd rather deal with Juliette than your own mom, wouldn't you?" 

Sophie hadn't really thought of that but as soon as he said it, she knew his accusation rang true. She was avoiding her mother. She didn't really want to talk her, let alone tell her that she was marrying Peter. 

Peter: "You don't think she'd approve of you marrying me, do you?" 

Sophie: "I don't care what she thinks anymore, Peter. (long pause) I know she's basically a good person--it's just that she's very set in her ways, and anytime I deviate from her grand plan for me, she's never happy. So basically she's NEVER happy with me because I have a habit of always doing the exact opposite of what she wants. I've told you, for some reason I've always been her biggest disappointment. She'd rather I had a nice, normal 9-5 job someplace--something stable, not traveling the world or even working with a bunch of juvenile delinquents in the middle of nowhere." 

Peter recognized those thoughts from his dealings with his own father and continued to listen. 

Sophie: "Maybe I just always did the opposite of what she wanted because I thought it would piss her off, I'm not sure. I just wasn't ready to give up my dreams just to please her. Or at least I didn't want to give up my quest to figure out what my dreams were-so I hit the road, and she's never really forgiven me for that. And you know the rest of the story. We've never gotten along for as long as I can remember. I just don't want to fight with her right now." She gently touches his cheek and tells him, "These last few days with you, I've never been happier in my entire life and I just don't want that to end yet. Is that too much to ask?" 

Peter's not sure what to say at this point, but adds quietly, "I guess not." 

Sophie: "Besides, how could anyone, my mother included, not like Peter Scarbrow, huh? You know you're pretty terrific, don't you?" as she grabbed and held onto his hand. 

Shaking his head, Peter answers back, "I don't know about that." My father and I never got along. For most of my life, I never thought he liked me very much. Loved me? Yes. Worried about me? Definitely. Understood me? No. I don't think he EVER understood my life, especially here at Horizon." 

Sophie: "I don't know about that. From talking to Katherine and Ezra, I think at the end he WAS beginning to understand." 

Peter takes small comfort in that prospect. And with the tone of regret in his voice, explains, "I wish I would have introduced the two of you that day Dad arrived at Horizon. Somehow it's not right that he never got to meet the most important person in my life before he died. I guess we just ran out of time." 

Sophie answers with simple honesty, "I would have liked that." 

Peter gently squeezes Sophie's hand again, and says, "The thing is Soph, when Dad died we'd just begun to mend our relationship after years of not even speaking. If only we'd started years earlier, I might feel like the two of us really knew each other. Yes, I loved him but I don't feel like I really knew him either. " 

Peter continued, "I don't want you to look back with those same regrets someday with your mom. I learned that lesson the hard way-we only get one chance, Soph. Maybe you and your mom haven't gotten along in the past, but that doesn't mean it has to stay that way forever." 

As Sophie listened and thought about everything that he told her, with a reserve, she tells him, "I'll think about it okay? In my head I know you're right. But we've been through so much-it's just hard to start over now." 

Peter: "I never said it would be easy." 

Sophie: It's just….". She stops short. 

Peter: "It's what?" 

Sophie: "Nothing" 

Peter: "Don't hold back on me now, Soph. You *know* you can tell me anything. 

Sophie still looks reluctant and a little scared. 

Peter, suspecting the reason for Sophie's unwillingness to talk to her mother, continues, "Look, I know that someone like me--a recovering alcoholic and drug addict--isn't the catch you dream of telling your parents about. You're not going to hurt my feelings, honest." 

But Sophie is adamantly shaking her head and tells him, "No, Peter, you've got it all wrong. I don't understand her, and maybe she wouldn't have approved of you at first, but I know you'd eventually win her over." 

Peter, still confused, asks, "Then what?" 

Sophie wants to tell him, but it's difficult. But just as she decides she wants to tell him the whole story, tears start to well up in her eyes and she gets a lump in her throat, and she can't speak the words that are on the tip of her tongue. 

Peter seeing her reaction, reaches out and hugs her as tightly as he can. 

Sophie clings to him until she can regain her composure. She pulls back and admits, "It's more complicated…It's not just my mother's harping and all her expectations that make it difficult for me to talk to her." She can't go any further. 

Peter again senses her pulling back and reassures her again, "We've come too far to stop now, Soph. Tell me", he pleaded. "You've always been there for me--I know that. Give *me* the same chance. I promise you I'll be there for you IF YOU JUST LET ME. There's nothing in this world that you can't say to me." 

As she looked in his eyes, for the very first time she felt secure enough in their relationship that she truly believed that she could tell him anything. So with a big exhale, she slowly begins, "It's just I think we've said too many words to each other-words we can never take back…(pause) I've told you how my mother and I argued for most of my life-but it just got worse when I was in high school. As soon as I graduated, I couldn't wait to get away from her…and her perfect little house, and all of her expectations, and everything that reminded me of what she wanted for me. I got accepted into the advanced program in college and got to travel to Africa for the first time. It was so wonderful. I felt a freedom that I can't even begin to put into words-to be able to see the world, outside the confines of my mother's expectations. I felt like the sky was my only limit…that I could do anything." 

Peter sat quietly on the floor, still listening and stroking Sophie's lower arm, trying to make this difficult talk as easy as possible for her. 

Sophie: "Anyway, I was abroad and still very young, and it was then that the doctors told me that my endometriosis was so severe and advanced that I'd never be able to have children of my own. At the time, I didn't know what to think. I guess I was in shock at the time. I mean back then, I never really thought about having children…but then again I never thought about NOT having kids either." 

Confused, Peter offered, "Sophie I don't understand…" 

Sophie interrupts, "I'm getting there. Honest. It's just as I got older-like after I met you in Seattle-I started to think about all the things I'd be missing out on by not having kids of my own. I kept asking myself, or God, or anyone else who'd listen, "Why?"…"Why me?" 

Peter softly wiped the tear off her cheek. 

Sophie: "I mean I know it's a selfish question to ask, but I couldn't stop thinking about it. It was always in my head. And the more I thought about it, the more I wanted it-sorta like not realizing you want something, until they tell ya' you can't have it." 

Peter still wasn't understanding what this had to do with her mother, but he continued to listen as she poured her heart out to him. 

Sophie: "Time and time again the only answer I could come up with, was that it was my **punishment**-punishment for not getting along with my own mom-for not trying hard enough in our relationship. How could God trust me to be a good mother when I couldn't even be a good daughter?" 

Feeling her pain and torment, Peter gently said her name again, "Sophie…" 

Tears fell slowly down her cheek. She continued, "I decided that the best thing I could do is to talk to her about it-to try to rectify things between us-make amends. So I went home for a visit. I think I was hoping for a little comfort and for someone to tell me it really wasn't my fault" 

Peter: "Sophie, no one's to blame for something like this." 

Sophie: "In my head I do realize that but sometimes it's just nice to hear that from someone else, you know? Anyway, I hadn't seen her in a very long time, and when I eventually told her what the doctors had said, I didn't exactly get the sympathy and understanding I was looking for….Basically she told me that it was probably for the best since she hadn't witnessed much of a maternal instinct in the years I was growing up. She thought I was too much of a thrill-seeker and daredevil to ever be happy being a mother. I guess she thought I got what I deserved. How can a mother say that to her daughter, Peter?" 

Peter: "Sophie…." 

Sophie: "Needless to say we didn't mend our relationship that visit. After that I couldn't tell anyone about it. That's why every time I'd see you again, get close to you, feel myself falling in love with you again, I had to leave-every time. I didn't want to disappoint you or anyone else anymore. I kept running but it just kept haunting me" 

Peter: "Sophie, I told you, it's okay with me." Peter closes his eyes searching for the right words. "It doesn't matter. I don't blame you or anyone else---It's just something we have to live with. It's you that I want, and only you, Sophie Becker. Got me? And around here how can we want for kids? We have 150 kids--more than anyone can handle." 

Sophie wants to believe him but still gives him a skeptical look. 

Trying to swing the conversation back around to her and her mother, Peter asks, "Did you tell your mom how it made you feel when she said those things to you?" 

Sophie: "No. I couldn't. In the back of my mind I always wondered if maybe she was right. That I didn't deserve to have kids." 

Peter: Soph, there's no one more deserving than you. Trust me, I've seen you. I know how caring and nurturing you are, every single day with kids who aren't even yours. Don't ever doubt yourself like that. You would make a wonderful mother, believe me." 

Sophie is slightly comforted by his compliment. 

Peter: "I have to believe that your mother told you those things in a misguided effort to make you feel better about something you didn't have any control of. No matter how cruel the words sound, she probably didn't know what to say, and inadvertently made things worse between you. You said she has a tendency to be rather self-involved herself?" 

Sophie nods. 

Peter: "Then she probably doesn't even realize how the words have hurt you." 

Sophie: "But it did hurt, Peter. And I just can't bring myself to forgive her." (pause) "Why would any mother hurt her own daughter like that? I mean I know we see it every day at school, but it'll never make sense to me. If only they realized how lucky they really are to have….." She can't quite finish the sentence. 

Peter: "Parents do the best they can, Soph. It's the same for the kids here as it is with us. Sometimes it's just not enough and we have to develop that self-confidence from somewhere else-like we try to do at Horizon." 

Sophie: "You know what hurts the most?" 

Peter: "What?" 

Sophie: "That we-Mom and I-can't just talk about the everyday stuff in her lives-how her day was… how my day was. There are times when something great happens, like our engagement, and I really would like to talk to her about it, but I'm just not up to one of our constant confrontations. It seems like the only times we talk anymore, it's because someone in the family is sick, someone's died, someone's had a baby." Sophie gets quiet again, and though no longer crying, her eyes remain very watery with emotion. 

Peter just holds on to her hand, not really knowing what to say at this point. 

Sophie: "Sometimes I think I would do anything to have a family-to have our baby-And yet, my mom already has a daughter, and we don't really talk to each other. I try not to let it, but it hurts so much….And whenever we're together, I doubt myself and my choices, just like I was 13-years-old again. No matter how much I tell myself it doesn't matter what she thinks or what she says, whenever we're together, I fall right back into all the old habits. Maybe I think if I can figure out how to help Juliette deal with her mother, I might figure out how to talk to my own mom in the process." 

Peter: "Sophie, I have to believe that it's never too late. I think the first thing you need to do is just talk to your mom and tell her how the things she's said in the past have hurt you. Make her see the real you-the woman in front of me right now-not the obstinate girl she remembers. 

Sophie: "How do I do that?" 

Peter: "How about if we go visit your parents *together*? We can even go next week if you like. If you feel yourself falling back into those old habits again-know I'll be there right beside you every step of the way--that is, if you want me to. I have to believe that down deep your mom doesn't want things to stay the way they are between you either. Someone has to make the first move." 

Sophie: "We'll go *together*? 

Peter: "Yeah. I want her to see you the way I do." 

Sophie: "And how's that?" 

Peter: "You're my guardian angel, Soph. You're the woman I trust more than anyone else in the world." 

Encouraging him to go on and with a smile building on her face, she says, "Yes….?" 

Peter: "You're the most giving, caring, kind,…daring person I've ever met, whose unpredictable and funny,… and you're never afraid to tell me exactly when I've screwed up, and you're always there to pick me up when I fall." Looking over at her, he tells her simply, "You're my best friend, Soph." 

Feeling the weight of his words and the love in his voice, she reaches over to touch his cheek with her hand. Gently stroking his face, she kisses him ever so softly as a 'thank you'. 

With a slight mischievous grin, Peter tells her, "I also have a some choice words about your body-you know, how you're the sexiest woman I've ever met….but I don't think I'll be mentioning that to your mom-at least right off. What do you think?" 

Smiling, and slightly blushing, she tells him, "That's probably a good idea." 

They both start to laugh…. 

Containing the joy that had crept on her face and swallowing hard, Sophie feels the need to ask him something more serious-something that's she's still been worrying about, and tonight felt like the night to completely clear the air. 

Sophie: "Peter, can I ask you something?" 

Peter: "Anything-don't you know that by now?" 

Sophie: "I know we've talked about not having kids of our own. And I believe you when you *say* it doesn't matter to you, but I've had a lot of years to come to terms with it, and sometimes it's still hard to accept. You've only had a week. You can't tell me that at least a part of you isn't upset that something you've had your heart set on, isn't going to happen?" 

Peter: "Listen Soph, to tell you the truth, it's only been recently that I even started thinking about having kids. When I was younger, I was too self-absorbed to give it a second thought. When I was married to Chloe, we just never talked about it much. I was too wrapped up in work…making money. I just figured there'd always be time later. And then my life--as you know--pretty much spun out of control, and after I got clean, I was too busy concentrating on keeping myself together. Having kids of my own was just never a priority of mine." 

"But as time went on here at Horizon--yes, I've wanted someone to share my life with-- the school and with me. But down deep I knew the only person for me was you; I just had to convince you of that. When you did come back, I couldn't help but think that maybe this was my chance for us to have a future, a chance to bring a kid into this world, and get it right for a change." While squeezing Sophie's hand tightly, he admits, "Sometimes I'd picture her-a little piece of you, and a little piece of me, all wrapped up in one beautiful, adorable little package." 

Interrupting him, "Her?" she asked. 

Peter: "Yeah, a little girl. I'd picture her pretty much just like you-blond hair, blue eyes, with a smile that could capture my heart every time." 

Sophie: "Peter, I don't want you to lose out on your dream because of me. I see you-every time one of your students leaves--you work with them, you heal them, you grow to love them, and then they go back to their real parents. No matter how proud you are of them, I see that hurt in your eyes. I know in my heart that you want a child of your own." 

Peter: "But don't you see, Soph, those dreams don't mean anything without *you*? Yes, I would love to have a baby with you. But I know you want the same thing. I can live without that happening-as long as we're together." 

Sophie: "You're sure?" 

Peter: "Positive. Lots of couples find out they can't have children after they get married. We just know ahead of time. That's all. (pause) Sophie, you've seen me at my absolute worst, and instead of running away as fast as you could, you helped me get better. For some reason, God only knows why, you don't hold it against me, and you still want to be with me. No matter how much I'm sure you'd like to change that I'll be a recovering addict for the rest of my life, you accept me for who I am, right?" 

Sophie: "Of course." 

Peter: "Well then why can't you finally believe me that I accept you, Sophie Becker, the entire package-as is? Period. 

Tears begin to well up in Sophie's eyes, unable to respond. 

Peter: "I want you just as you are. I could never turn my back on you knowing that our life together won't be exactly how I pictured it. Nothing ever is. My mother used to say you have to learn to expect the unexpected." 

A single tear drops down Sophie's face and she reaches out to hug him. 

Still embracing, she says, "I love you." 

"I love you too," he answered her choking back the emotion himself. 

Moments later, as they separate, Peter impulsively gets up, admonishing her to stay right where she is. 

"I'll be right back," he said raising his voice as he went into the bedroom. 

"Peter, what are you doing?" she asked with a piqued curiosity. 

"Just wait," he yelled from the other room. 

As he returned with his hands behind his back, she tried to read the expression on his face. He was up to something but she wasn't quite sure what it was. 

He sat back down beside her on the floor. 

Peter: "Close your eyes." 

Sophie: "What?" 

Peter: "Please, for me" 

"All right," she answered closing her eyes lightly. 

Peter: "No peeking!" 

Sophie: OK, OK. 

Peter reached over to grab her left hand, and she felt him place something on her finger. It was a little loose but it still fit rather nicely. 

Peter: "All right, you can open 'em." 

Sophie opened her eyes to find that he had placed a small gold band with a simple small diamond solitaire on her ring finger. 

"Peter!" she exclaimed with surprise. 

"If we're going to see your parents next week my fiancee has to have a ring on her finger," he tells her. 

Sophie is still speechless. 

"Do you like it? 'Cos if you don't I can always get you something else." 

"No I love it. It's beautiful," she said as she continued to examine the ring. The diamond was small, and the setting looked old-not antique-but still very classic. 

"It was my mother's engagement ring," he offers. It came from Marc last week along with some other things of my father's. 

Sophie: "Peter, I love it. It's perfect--thank you." She leans over and kisses him. 

As the two break apart from the kiss Peter says, "I wanted to wait and give it to you--make it something special--but tonight just felt right. 

He adds telling her, "It's the only thing I have of my mother's". Feeling ashamed, he explains, "Everything I else that was given to me after she died, I hocked for money when I was still strung out…." The words hang in the air for a moment. 

Quickly trying to bring the conversation back around to the ring, he asks, "But if you'd rather have something else, honestly we can go shopping in Seattle before we leave next week and we can pick out something together…" 

"No, this is absolutely perfect, she says softly." 

He gets up on his knees, pulling Sophie up with him. 

Peter: "So I guess this makes it official then, huh? You really will marry me? 

Sophie: "I was the one who asked you, remember?" 

Peter: "Well, I did ask you first." 

Sophie: "But, Peter, that didn't really count." 

Peter: "Didn't count? What do you mean by that?" 

Sophie: "Peter, I mean I'm glad you asked because if forced me into talking to you about things that I'd been doing a good job of avoiding, but it was hardly the kind of proposal a woman waits her whole life to hear." 

Peter: "Well it was an impulse thing…" Realizing the truth he kinda scrunches up his nose and , he adds, "I guess it did kinda suck, didn't it? 

Sophie: "Well, you said it." She starts to laugh. 

Peter: "Maybe you could give me another chance?" 

Sophie: "What? It's too late. We're already engaged, remember? I asked you, you accepted. It's done." 

Peter: "It's never too late, Soph. I'd like another chance. Please? Maybe this time you'll even say 'yes'?" 

Sophie smiles and tells him, "I think the odds are in your favor on that one. All right-let's hear it." 

Peter tells her getting more serious, "OK." He reaches out her hand and lifts the engagement ring he'd just given her, off above the knuckle and holds it in place. "Sophie Becker, I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you do me the great honor of marrying me?" 

He puts the ring back securely on her finger. 

Sophie who had previously just been humoring him was touched by his sincerity, and answers just as sincerely, "Yes, I would love to marry you." 

He reaches out to kiss her softly on the lips. 

Peter: "So was that any better?" 

Sophie: "Yeah, well it'd have to be better than the first time!" 

Peter looked a little hurt by her joke. 

Sophie: "I was just kidding….It was perfect. Really." 

Peter reaches out to Sophie, lightly touching the soft bangs framing her face. He lightly pushes the side of her hair back behind her ear, just staring at her beautiful face. 

Peter: "Are you sure you wouldn't like a big wedding? I can't think of anyone who'd make a more beautiful bride." 

Sophie: "Maybe we could talk about the details later…?"   
  
Nodding in agreement, he slowly leans over to kiss her again softly holding her in his arms ever so gently. Still facing each other on their knees, their kiss continues, but each begins to feel the other reaching out more strongly for the other. Their kisses slowly begin to deepen and Sophie feels totally encapsulated by his warm and ever strong embrace. 

Peter inches his body even closer, and gently leans in and nudges his body toward her, causing both to tumble the short distance to the floor. This time, Peter breaks off their kiss long enough to gaze soulfully into her eyes and stroke the sides of her blond hair. 

"I love you," she told him again in a soft whisper. 

But Peter seemed to have no reaction to those words. He just continued to stare down at her. 

"What?", Sophie asks, hoping nothing is wrong. 

Peter just closes his eyes momentarily as if to soak up the moment, once again looks down at her and shakes his head with disbelief, and says, "I just never thought I could be this happy." (pause) "*You* make me happy, Soph." 

Sophie could feel the sincerity of his declaration and returns the same emotion. She tells him, "I DO love you Peter, and this time I'm not going anywhere." 

Though he wants to make love to her, he continues to just gaze soulfully into the most beautiful blue eyes he's ever seen. 

Looking up at him, Sophie takes the opportunity to tell him, "You know this is just like my dream." 

Peter: "Your dream?" 

Reaching up to cup his cheek with her palm, Sophie explains, "Yeah. I'd lie awake in my trailer every night these last few months, just thinking about you, wondering what you were doing at that exact moment. Knowing that you were so close here in the house, but so far away from me in so many ways-wanting desperately to tell you everything but scared of never having the future with you I truly wanted. Wondering if Chloe was going to…. 

Peter: "Sophie, let's not worry about any of that anymore. We're passed it, we're together now, and that's all that matters. " 

Sophie: "I know now, but all those months every night I'd dream about us being this close-no secrets between us, and uhmmmmmmm, making love to you like we used to. You have no idea how frustrating the last several months have been for me, Peter." 

A look of shock washes over his face as Peter looks down at Sophie as he continues to cradle her in his arms on the floor. He asks her, "Are you kidding me? How do you think *I* felt all those months? Besides, I had absolutely no clue what was going on with you." He then proceeds to methodically list their recent history since she dropped back in his life, saying, "You come back to Horizon, you move in 20 feet from my door, you date other guys-Bob Briago, no less,--you tell me you want to be friends, you're reluctant to even go on a simple date with me, and then you tell me that you love me." He had that familiar look of confusion written all over his face. 

Sophie: "Peter, I just…" 

Peter cuts her off and places his finger on her lips. He tells her, "I understand now, Soph. I just didn't before. So while you laid awake in your trailer, I pretty much laid awake in here in my fruitless attempt to figure out what was going on with you…still wanting us to be together, dreaming about this gorgeous body of yours, wanting so badly to make love to you." As he looked longingly down on her, Sophie recognized that look in his eyes-they were filled with complete desire for her. 

As flirtatiously as she could, she asks him provocatively, "Well, I think we've been doing a pretty good job of making up for all that lost time these last few days, don't you?" 

After thinking of the last few days with Sophie, with a slightly raised eyebrow, he says, "Not bad…..Not bad, but I think we still have some making up to do." Consumed by his building desire, he leans down to kiss her, not softly, but rather fully and deeply with the very first kiss. Sophie reels with the sudden and instant surge of intensity. 

Their passion mounts as his tongue continues to probe and explore her mouth completely, and she returns the passion in kind. Totally lost in the moment, Sophie was wishing it could go on like this forever, but Peter moved his mouth down along the side of her face and down her long sensitive neck. She leaned her head back as far as she could so he could reach every inch of her-and he did. As he moved slowly up to nibble on her ear, he whispered the words that he seemed to use frequently these last few days-the words she has wanted to hear for as long as she's known him, "I love you, Sophie." 

As he explored her face, her neck, and her ear with his mouth, she ran her hand up and down the nape of his neck, massaging, and running her fingers through the hair on the back of his head. But it wasn't until he slid his hand down slightly to gently cup her breast that she felt another surge of intense energy tingling throughout her body. She released a soft moan which had been pent up for the last several minutes of their encounter together. Only the soft cotton material of the shirt she was wearing was separating the touch of their skin. 

Peter moved up once again to grab her mouth with his, and their tongues swirled intensely and rhythmically. His oh-so-gentle touch on her breast increased in pressure and became more of a kneading to match the rhythm of his tongue. He moved to nuzzle her neck again, when she heard him whisper softly in her ear, "I want you Soph. I want you so much." 

Sophie answered back slightly out of breath, "I want you, too." 

Her response was like music to his ears, and he continued to kiss her, but more softly now as he concentrated on finding the buttons on her shirt with his hand. And with one hand he expertly and meticulously, by feel, undid the top button of the shirt and very quickly, he repeated the process with the remaining buttons leaving only the bottom button fastened in its place. 

Peter trailed his kisses back down to her neck, stopping briefly at the hollow in the middle of her collarbone. With his hand, he guided the shirt material off of her shoulder and shadowing with his mouth along the same path, planted tiny wet kisses along the way. He repeated the process on the other side and then slightly massaged her newly bare shoulders with both of his hands as he looked down on her. 

With her open shirt pulled down behind her shoulders, her entire torso had become bare to his eyes, and Sophie's breathing was becoming more shallow in anticipation. Her eyes were burning with desire as she watched him looking down on her breasts and her body. She never felt more beautiful than when he looked at her with such love and adoration. 

She caught his gaze as he looked back up at her eyes. She could tell his desire at this point equaled only her own, and their eyes remained locked on one another. 

He took his hand to stroke her slightly flushed cheek. As he moved his fingers around her slightly parted lips, Sophie hungrily latched onto his forefinger with her tongue--first rather tentatively until she boldly had her tongue and mouth around his entire finger. Peter reveled in the carnal sensations as well as in her eagerness as she 1-by-1 took his other fingers into her mouth gently biting down on his fingers and sucking sensually to increase their mutual desire. 

Finally Peter removed his fingers, and while aching to touch her body, with the back of his fingers he outlined her mouth again and traced a path down the center of her torso all the way to her navel with his newly moist fingers. 

He used such a tantalizing soft touch that it felt intoxicating to Sophie. He repeated the same path several times, and goose bumps began to pop up on her upper body-part arousal, part reaction to the cool morning air in the room. As he continued to stroke her body again and again, with each pass his hand took a broader and more meandering path giving the inner swell of her breasts, the attention that they too deserved until he had caressed ever spot imaginable. He lingered in all the right spots and reveled in the feel of her baby-soft skin on her chest. 

The two newly reunited but long-time lovers were totally in synch with one another. Sophie trembled at his touch, and reacting to the feel of his fingers, and as if screaming for more attention, she arched her back to him and moaned with excitement. Peter welcomed the invitation to further intensify their encounter, and as if on cue, he lowered his mouth to claim her breast, his tongue concentrating on her highly aroused nipples--lazily lightly biting and sensually sucking on the hardened areas of her breast. His breath felt so warm on her skin. 

Arousing sensations continued to stir throughout her entire body. Peter could feel the rapid rise and fall of her chest as he sensually alternated kissing her flat stomach and each of her soft firm breasts, all the while using his hands to leave no area uncaressed. He even plunged his tongue deep into her navel and she arched her back even farther with small whimpers of pleasure escaping from her throat. She just closed her eyes and laid back to enjoy all his attention. Again, Sophie moaned in delight, and as her breathing became more and more shallow, she longed to call out his name, but she couldn't quite form the words. The desire to feel his mouth on hers again was building. She needed to taste him again, to feel his breath inside her, so she lowered her hands down to the back of Peter's neck to guide him back up to her. Instinctively knowing what she needed, Peter obliged by kissing her deeply on the mouth, and Sophie inhaled his scent, and reveled in the taste of his tongue inside her. 

Sophie opened more of her body up to him and curled her knee and leg to rest on his hip, and he instantaneously grabbed and stroked her thigh as she increased the contact between them. This time it was Peter who moaned erotically. As she moved and re-positioned her body, Sophie felt his building arousal, but she was distracted by the feel of the terry-cloth robe he was still wearing touching her bare leg. She wanted-no she needed--to feel his skin touching hers, and she lowered her hand down to the tie of his robe. She managed to untie the loose knot and opened the front of his robe, and guided Peter's body more directly on her allowing his skin to touch her own. Pulling him down on her as she continued to stroke his muscular back, she needed to touch and explore his body just as he had done to her earlier. Physically, she loved every inch of his body-especially his ever-so broad shoulders, his muscular arms, his firm but thin waist, and well defined pecs, and she needed to show him how much. 

Sophie moved her hands to the front of his shoulders to change their position. She lustily repeated his name, calling him-urging him on his back. As she gently nudged Peter to roll the other way so that she'd have better access to his chest, Peter obligingly moved, but the mood was immediately broken when,…… 

Peter: "Ow, Ouch……." Peter immediately sat up with a terrible pained expression on his face. 

Sophie: "What?" What's wrong?" 

Peter had rolled directly onto the sharp corner of the textbook Sophie had been using earlier that night. Peter was still in obvious pain. He lifted up the book to show Sophie the "weapon". 

Sophie: "I'm sorry," she told him trying hard to stifle the laugh that was building inside. 

Peter: "I'll be all right. Just give me a sec." 

Sophie: "Maybe we should have moved to the bedroom. (pause)… Her breath was still rather rapid despite the interruption. I guess we're not as young as we used to be. Remember all the times when nothing would have stopped us, like the time we ended up in that walk-in closet in my old apartment. We were on top of shoes, clothes, hangers,….books. None of it mattered back then, did it Tough Guy?" she teased. 

As she continues to taunt him about the ridiculousness of the situation and try to catch her breath, she says with a thinly concealed laugh, "But now all it takes is a little book and our night together is thwarted!" 

Peter, still holding the injured spot on his side, tells her, "Hey, that's easy for you to say, you weren't the one who was maimed by your damn textbook." Aware of the silliness of the disruption, the expression of pain begins to leave Peter's face and is replaced with a smile, still filled with the desire from before. 

Sophie: "Let me see, you big crybaby." Sophie moves slightly to get a better look at the side of his ribcage. He did have a nasty looking red puncture mark. As she gently touched the affected area Peter slightly winced in pain. Sophie shoves the remaining books to the other side of the room, and continues, "It looks like it might bruise tomorrow, but I'm sure you're going to be okay." 

Peter: "Yeah? No punctured lungs or anything?" as he asked half-jokingly. 

Sophie moved down to gently kiss the spot on his side. Her movements quickly became increasingly more sensual however, and Peter quickly blocked out any remaining pain. 

"Where were we?" asked Peter trying to resume where they left off a moment ago. He reached out to find her mouth where he once again initiated a tender kiss which deepened rapidly. 

Realizing that they were back on track, Sophie gently slid Peter's robe off which had loosely remained on his shoulders, and she guided him down onto his back. With a quick check to make sure he really was okay she laid her body directly on top of him. 

"Oh yeah, I'm remembering now," he says with a smile, reacting to her movements. 

Sophie: "Good" 

With all of her weight on him, she kissed him hard, stroking his body, and writhing over him--it was as if nothing had briefly interrupted them earlier. She became lost in his kiss again. His lips were so soft, and full, complementing & fitting hers perfectly-like it was fate bringing them together again. She once again began matching the movements of his tongue swirl for swirl, and reveling in the sensations when…." 

Peter broke off the kiss prematurely as he remembered her earlier comment. Trying to keep his breathing under control he asks incredulously, "What did you mean before?… You really think we're old? (pause) "We're not that old," trying to convince himself as much as Sophie. "I mean we've already made love once earlier tonight, you know?" 

"Since when has that ever been enough for *you*?" she asked him in her most seductive and tantalizing voice. 

Accepting that truth and feeling up to her challenge, he seductively tells her in that deep soft voice of his, "Yeah, well, I'll show you OLD!" He pulled her head down to his mouth keeping the pressure on the back of her head with his one hand and kissed her as long and as deep as he's ever done. And with his other hand he reached for her breast which had been resting on his bare chest and proceeded to wrap his hand around it and simultaneously caresses it before moving his hand inside her shirt to trace tiny circles against the skin on her back. They both exchanged deep moans as a result of the contact, which they each both captured in one another's mouths. 

Gasping for air, Sophie bit down on her own lower lip, smiled down on him and responded alluringly in anticipation, "I can't wait Mountain Man." Peter reached down to unbutton the final button that was keeping the shirt on Sophie's shoulders and quickly discarded the shirt away from her body. She raised herself up, allowing Peter full visual access to her nude body, and slowly began to straddle him. 

Very aware of their increased contact, he reached over to gently squeeze her buttocks and stroke her leg, lingering around her upper thigh. Still trying to prolong their encounter, while staring directly into his eyes, she moved her mouth down to his nipple and gently caressed it with her tongue. With a building intensity, she explored more of his body with her mouth causing him to nearly lose control of his highly aroused body. As delightful as her teasing movements were, his body was tense and he increasingly needed more, and as he looked in her eye, there was a pleading in his voice as he once again breathlessly repeated her name. He rested his hands on her hips urging her closer on top of him. She knew that they were both ready, and just as she made her initial move to escalate their encounter to the ultimate height they both heard….. 

Ring, Ring…..(The telephone is ringing) 

Though initially oblivious to the sound, the ringing slowly enters their consciousness. 

Sophie lowered her head to look him in the eye with total disbelief of the horrible timing of the phone call. "I can't believe this," she said in between hard breaths. 

Peter is silent. He just closes his eyes in frustration, listening to the phone ring again and then again. He knows he has to get it. It could be an emergency. 

Sophie: "Let the machine get it. If it's important, we can get up." 

But remembering something from last night, he tells her, "It's not working! I've got to get it," still trying to catch his breath. 

Sophie lets out a sigh-this time in frustration. She bends down to gently rest her head on his chest, simultaneously grabbing his hands and lifting them both back on their feet. As Peter heads to the kitchen to get the phone, Sophie grabs a blanket which was draped on the nearby chair, and heads toward the bathroom. She pulls the blanket tightly around her body and proceeds to splash some water on her face. As she stares at herself in the bathroom mirror, she notices that her skin is still flushed and her eyes were still a little red from her earlier crying. 

In total frustration she mutters, "Sometimes I really hate this job," speaking only to her reflection in the mirror. 

After only a minute or so, she went back into the kitchen to see what was up with the phone call, but Peter wasn't there, and the phone was back on the hook. Assuming the worst and setting aside her own frustration, she wondered what could have been so urgent at this hour of the morning. 

She found Peter in the living room-sitting quietly, looking rather dejected in the chair with his robe pulled tight again. 

"What is it? What's the emergency?" she said, her voice filled with a sudden anxiety. 

Looking up at her, Peter calmly tells her rather matter of factly, "There is none." 

"Well then what?" Sophie asked. 

"Nothing. It was a wrong number," Peter tells her. 

"No way!" she responded but feeling very relieved that her worst fears weren't realized. The kids were all right and there was no emergency at Horizon or anything. 

"Yes way," he said-his voice dripping with irony. 

She quietly walks over to Peter's chair, and says, "First thing we do is get a new answering machine." 

"Definitely," Peter responds. Realizing her wording, he clarifies, "We? *We* need to get a new answering machine?" 

Sophie proceeds to sit down in Peter's lap and sheepishly tries to explain, "Well, yeah. I figured I'd probably be spending more time here and well,….you know…" 

"Yeah, I know. I like the sound of that," he tells her. 

Not content to leave their night's encounter unfinished, while running her hand through his hair and then sliding her hand down to the tiny hairs on his chest, she asks, "So where were we before we were so rudely interrupted?" 

With seemingly little reaction to her seductive movements and still looking rather dejected, he asks, "Soph do you believe in signs? 'Cos right now they're screaming that the alarm is going to go off in about a half hour, and we probably should just get some rest until then. We've both got a big day tomorrow." 

Still continuing to stroke his neck and the exposed area of his chest, she tells him, "I do believe in signs-your problem is you're reading the wrong ones." 

"What do you mean? What are the book and the phone REALLY telling us?" he asked in frustration. 

Sophie replies while shaking her head, "No, I mean *something* woke you up causing you to find me out here tonight, and because of that we cleared the air about a lot of things." As she grabs and rolls her engagement ring on her left ring finger, "And now….we're closer than ever." 

His mood softens and he reaches over to gently kiss the top of her ring on her finger. 

"And right now…., " she begins as she simultaneously moves her hand down to see that despite his seeming reluctance, he's still aroused. "There's nothing I want more than to make love to you right now," she tells him looking at him with very eager eyes. 

He reacts to her touch and swallows hard. 

Sophie stands on her feet, looking down on him in the chair. She pulls the blanket that she had draped on her shoulders down to the floor, and grabs his hands to bring him up to his feet. "Besides, " she tells him, "Do you remember the very first lesson you ever taught me?" 

"What?" he asked. 

Interlocking her fingers with his she begins pulling him toward her as she walks backwards toward the bedroom. She answers, "You always say, if you start something, you better make sure you finish it!" 

"That does sound familiar," he tells her with a definite grin. 

Still approaching the bedroom, she adds, "That was great advice, and now I'm gonna hold you to it…..And Peter, for this particular *something*, you're definitely overdressed…...." 

"I am, huh?" he asked playing along now. 

After quickly biting down on her lower lip, she nods saying, "Definitely." 

Getting a little anxious, he removes his robe, letting it fall to the floor, telling her, "You know, I've got an idea." 

She wets her lips in anticipation. "Am I gonna like it?" she asks as provocatively as she can. 

Peter: "I hope so." 

Sophie: "What is it?" 

Peter: "It's more something I have to show you." 

He crosses over from the living room into the bedroom and kisses her mouth in a quick tantalizing way. He turns and closes the bedroom doors so that they can both enjoy the privacy of capping their long night together off in the most romantic of ways……. 

*The End* 


End file.
